My sister is a single mother of four boys, and has finally – after entirely too long a wait - been awarded child support from the less-than-stable and often drug addicted individual who sired my nephews. It is really about damn time. The kids are almost all in their teens and, as anyone with teenage boys can attest, they create an actual vaccuum into which all extra cash is siphoned on a daily basis. Couldn’t have come at a better time.
Enter Chase Bank – the proprietor of cash cards distributed by the Child Support Clearinghouse that collects, records, and then disburses payments. My sister was supposed to receive her card over two months ago. She has called and called and called, always being told “it will be there in 7-10 business days.” Oh, except for the time that they said they sent it, but to a completely different address. That card never materialized. She called a few more times, always being told that she would receive her card in the ubiquitous 7-10 business days.
Nothing.
By a few days ago, there were three payments pending on the card, and still no card. Having had absolutely enough, my sister called and was told, “Oh, they verified your information, but never released the card.”
“Wait, what? Why did they not release the card?”
“I’ll just go ahead and take care of that for you right now.”
“Why didn’t they release the card?”
“Okay, you should get that card in (wait for it) 7-10 business days.”
And then my sister’s head spun off…
The delightfully useless little girl on the other end of the phone told her that they COULD overnight it, but it would cost her $15.00. Needing the cashola, she agreed to pay the money. Sure enough, bright and early the next day, her card arrived, as promised.
Now, what I would like to know is this: Where, exactly, does Chase Bank get off holding child support payments hostage from a single mother who is only using Chase bank because that is the banking entity that the Child Support Clearinghouse has chosen to use? That doesn’t sound like a “best practices” situation, does it? In fact, when I don’t deposit enough money into my account, or if I am LATE with a payment to my Chase Visa card, they are always very timely with charging my late fees and overdraft fees. Clearly, they had no intention of sending the card to my sister until she agreed to pay a FEE to receive the card. Let me remind you (and Chase) that this child support is COURT ORDERED and for the bank to knowingly withhold her child support payments puts Chase Bank squarely in contempt of court.
Now, if anyone from Chase Bank actually reads this, I want to know when my sister can expect a refund on the $15.oo that they extorted from her?
I think it’s high time I changed banks. Maybe Wells Fargo won’t steal me blind.
Wells Fargo won’t rob you blind, but you will still need corrective lenses…
Really frustrating story to read Katie — unfortunately par for the course WRT the banking industry.
As an individual, you can suck it — you’re welcome to sue them any time you want for things like this, naturally it’s people with no money or no time that would have to bring the lawsuit and Chase (or any other bank) would happily oblige and give you the card and/or $15 after $3k in lawyer fees… it’s a phenomenal system of checks and balances written by the banking industry… for the banking industry.
It’s like lot the policies that govern insurance companies… but that’s a different subject of me ranting and raving until I get diarrhea.
Diahrrea totally sucks.
I would also like it noted that she actually has FIVE boys. What I meant to write was “four minor boys.” She also has an adult son. Don’t want to leave him out!
Shit like this never ceases to piss me off. It is absolutely the truth that the only people that get assraped over fees and charges are the people that have the least amount of money to begin with. Of course, I can already hear the little naysaying voices saying, “Nay. If they were responsible adults, they would always have plenty of money in their accounts.”
Yeah, that doesn’t happen for everyone. Sorry.
I just totally misspelled “diarrhea.” Damn.
Oh…it gets even better with Chase..Take my experiences for example. I have had this horrible card for about 3 or 4 years now. Everything was fine until this year. Then I lost my card. Well, I also paid to have it overnighted and it came the next day BUT when I tried to use it, it was declined. They had not put the deposit on my new card so basically it was worthless. I called upset wanting my money back from having it overnighted since it did not work and was told I could not get it back because Chase had to the end of the day to put the balance on the card….It was finally put on the card late that afternoon.
Second example: Take this week’s deposit for instance. It was supposed to be credited to my card on Friday July 16th. No money….called the state to find out why I had money but it was not on my card. They said Chase would have it deposited by the end of the day and that Chase said that they had till midnight to deposit the money…Sat July 17th. NO MONEY!! I called Chase’s customer service and was given the run around…they are working on it, they are aware of the problem…etc. I am aware that they are thieves who keep people’s money. Sun. July 18th..still NO MONEY!!!! Me and my child’s father are very upset. He pays money for his child and I don’t get it because Chase keeps it…I hate Chase to the point where I think I will dissolve the support order so he can just hand me my money every week and I know he would do that with no problem and so Chase and the state can be left out of the equation…the state is an ass for using Chase and not giving us a good alternative……
BANK WITH SMALL CREDIT UNIONS, O N L Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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